Improvement in feed water regulators for steam-boilers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD E. BOND, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEEDWATER REGULATORS FOR STEAMBOILERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,702, dated October 18, 1864.

T 0 @ZZ wtom it may concern.:

Be it known that l, RICHARD E. BOND, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Oombined 4Feed Regulator and Low-Tater Detector for Steamoilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of a boiler with my invention applied, the upper part ofthe shell ybeing represented in section to show the parts within. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, with the shell partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end View ofthe same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several ligures.

This invention consists in a novel mode of applying a float Iwithin a steam-boiler, and of combining the same with the cock or other device for controlling the feed, and with a steam-whistle, or its equivalent, whereby it is made to regulate the feed under ordinary circumstances, and to give an alarm if, under eX- traordinary circumstances, the water should get below a safe level. l

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the shell of the boiler. B is a hanger attached rigidly by bolts a a and nuts Z) b to the upper part of the shell ofthe boiler, and containing the bearings for the knife-edge pivots e of a lever, O, which works like a scalebeain inside of the boiler. At one end of this beam there is attached a iioat, D, and at the other a counterbalance-weight, E, which keeps the lioat D partially immersed in the water to any desired depth, and which is itself always above the surface of the water. The `lioat D may be made of metal; or, to lessen its specific gravity, it might be made lof stone, glass, porcelain, or other suitable substance, and partially covered with sheet metal to prevent any parts which might break oft" from falling down. To allow the steam generated beneath it to escape upward, a number of holes are drilled through the said float, which is attached to the lever by means of knifeedge pivots c e, secured in opposite prongs of a fork, which is formed on that end of the lever to which it is attached, as shown, the

said pivots entering a box, d, which is secured exactly over the center of the iioat by means of four metal braces, f f, connected with the oat near its. corners and by a bolt through the middle of said ioatbox and braces.

Some distance below the fulcrum or bearing of the lever C, and near one side 'ot' the boiler, there is a horizontal rock-shaft, F. which is arranged parallel with the plane of oscillation of the lever O, one of its journals being supported in abearing, g, attached to the side of the boiler, and the other in a short tube,

`l1., which is screwed into the head of boiler,'

the latterjournal protrudingthrough the outer end of the said tube h, and having firmly secured to it an arm or lever, G.

Around the journal which iits the tube li there is formed upon the rock-shaft ashoulder, which is pressed against the inner end of the said tube and caused to tit steamtight thereto, and prevent leakage around the journal by the pressure ofthe steam on the opposite end of the rock-shaft. Vithin the boiler there is secured to the rock-shaft F an arm,j, which is connected with the lever C, between its fulcrum andthe weight E, by means of a link, k, which is attached to the same arm and lever by means of universal joints. The arm j is adjustable lengthwise of the shaft and secured by a key, or its equivalent, and the upper univers-.ll joint of the link k is attached to a slide, l, which is adjustable lengthwise of the lever C to a position corresponding with that of the arm j, and secured by a set-screw, or its equivalent.

The extremity ot' the outer arm G of the rockshaft is connected by a rod, m, with the lever or handle a of a cock or valve, L, placed in the suction pipe p of the feed-pump or with the throttlevalve of a donkey-en gine used for working the feed-pump or water-pipe p of an injector or boiler feeder.

On one side of the rod m there is a tappet, 4, which is situated below one arm of an elbowlever7 y, which works on a fixed fulcrum, q, and the other arm of which is connected by a rod, r, with one arm of a second elbow-lever, s, which works on a fixed fulcrum, t. The

other arm of this second lever is connected by a rod, a, with one arm of a lever, l, which works on a lixed fulcrum, e, and the other arm of this latter lever is connected by a rod, w, with a steam-whistle, J.

lThe operation of the apparatus is as follows: The float D, rising and falling with the level of the water in the boiler, produces a reversed movement of the opposite end of the lever (l, and so causes a downward or upward movement of the arm j of the rook-shaft and a eorrespending movement of the arm G, which acts through the rod m on the lever or handle n of the oook or throttle-valve L, and so produces a less or greater opening of the said cock or valve, and regulates the supply of water to the boiler as required, and if the water gets a certain level the cook or valve is closed entirely and the further supply out off. lf from the derangenient of the feed pump, or from any other cause, the water in the boiler gets below a certain level, the tappet 4 on the rod 'm rises into eontaet with the lever y, and b v its upward pressure thereon moves the said lever in sueh manner that by means of the rod 1^, lever s, rod u, lever I, and rod w, the valve of the steam-whistle is opened and the whistle blown to give the alarm of low-water.

vWhat I claim as new, and desire to seeuie by Letters Patent, is-

The tloat D, lever C, and counter-balance E, all within the boiler, in combination with the rook-shaft F, and its arms j G, the whole arranged substantially as herein described, to operate either upon a cook or throttle or other valve by which the operation of the pump or other feeder is controlled, or with a steamwhistle, or with both such eoek or valve and whistle, for the purpose herein set forth.

, RICHARD E. BOND.

Witnesses:

J oHN RUssELL Frrz GERALD, JOHN SLATER. 

